Abstract
A functional alteration of the retina is present in patients suffering from uveitis. Because of the relation between the pineal gland and the retina we documented possible modifications of melatonin secretion in patients with uveitis. Plasma melatonin was assayed in 19 patients and 16 age-matched controls. Blood samples were drawn at the known high and low points of the circadian rhythm of the hormone, i.e. 02.00 and 11.00 h, respectively. We found that the nocturnal peak of plasma melatonin was greatly decreased (45%) in patients with uveitis. These data cannot be related to the impairment of retinal melatonin synthesis alone. The possibility exists that the decline of the nocturnal peak of melatonin we have reported is due to a pineal inflammation in patients with uveitis, as observed in the experimental autoimmune uveitis induced in rats by retinal S-antigen.
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